Max Baginski: The Anarchist International

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Max Baginski

Te Anarcist International

November, 1907


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Te old International awakens diverse feelings. It was no doubt a powerful

aempt to call into life the idea of the revolutionary proletariat in solidaric and

international relationship. Unfortunately, however, it served as a centre of intrigue

and gossip.

Karl Marx was essentially centralistic. Possibly he imagined that himself, En-gels and their immediate friends embodied the only true conception as to the

lines that Socialism and the movement of the proletariat should follow. Te

faith in his own infallibility inevitably resulted in Marx becoming autocratic and

authoritarian.

Michael Bakunin was temperamentally unfied for dogmatic and orthodox

ideas. He hated the zigzag path of diplomacy with its intrigues and speculations.

Revolution to Bakunin did not mean a scientific doctrine, nor was it a cold, au-

tomatic result of evolution, to assert itself without the efforts and assistance of

men. Rather did he see in Revolution the direct result of the conscious emotions

and aspirations of those who suffer most under the yoke of our social crimes and

errors.Te Marxian slogan was to seize the governmental machinery through the

ballot. Bakunin, on the other hand, waged war on all government, including that

of workingmen, perceiving in any governmental and political regime the very

source of oppression and tyranny.

Te present syndicalist movement, consisting of direct action, the General

Strike, etc., originated with Bakunin, and was fought tooth and nail by the Marx-

ian clique. us, centralized authority as conceived by Marx and anti-author-

itarian federalism as embodied by Bakunin were doomed to clash and war

with each other.

Te weapons employed by Marx and his disciples in this contest were full of

poison and venom. But it is not the object of this article to discuss them, nor the

mass of insinuation and malicious slander circulated against Bakunin.

Te object I have in view is to acquaint the readers ofMother Earth with the

nature and purpose of the Anarchist International, formed at the Amsterdam

Congress. Te new International will continue to wave the flag which Bakunin

was prevented from doing by its old namesake.

Te main raison detre of the International Bureau at London is to gather

Anarchist groups and federations now scaered all over the world and to bring

them into harmonious and solidaric relations with each other.

e desire to combine our forces grew out of the lack ofconcertedaction among

the comrades of various countries, as well as the comrades of different nationali-

ties. We know so lile of each other; we carry on a singlehanded, desperate bale

with the powers that be, a bale which would prove much more effective andless trying were we united.


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We may remain perfectly indifferent to the sensational gust of the capitalist

press that Anarchist organizations are synonymous with blood-curdling conspir-

acies. But we cannot afford to have the minds of the workers poisoned by these

misrepresentations.

Te Anarchists, more than any other set of thinkers, have ever emphasizedthe dangers of sectarianism, yet many of us have failed to apply our ideas to the

everyday life, and to enter the broad, wide field of the economic struggle. As

Anarchists, we cannot remain mere preachers and prophets; we must be practical

builders of the foundation that is to support the future. It is a lamentable fact

that so few comrades are actively engaged in the trade union movement, yet is

there anyone so eminently equipped to participate in the daily economic struggle

between capital and labor than the well-informed Anarchist? He knows that the

proletariat furnishes the source of revolt against the present social conditions. It

therefore behooves him to direct that source into such channels which will pave

the way for a new social arrangement.

I do not contend that the International Bureau will represent the force that isto reconstruct the labor movement; what I do insist upon is that the Bureau can

become instrumental in bringing about a more thorough understanding between

Anarchists and the organized labor forces.

To achieve this the Bureau needs the individual and collective co-operation of

all comrades.

A circular leer just received from the secretary of the Bureau puts several

questions to the readers of Mother Earth. I recommend that those questions

be thoroughly discussed, and whatever conclusions the comrades will arrive at

should be sent to the secretary without fail.

In conclusion, just a few more words. Some people, either out of ignorance

or for personal reasons, charge that the Congress, in forming the International,

was arbitrary and inconsistent with Anarchism. ese good people seem to have

forgoen that the proposition of an International was submied to the comrades

six months prior to the Congress; that it was discussed and decided upon by many

groups and individual comrades, and that several of the delegates were sent with

the express purpose to urge the formation of the International. But aside of all

this, I wish to state that the International is not to be imposed upon any group or

individual.

Te Bureau has no statute books, nor is there the slightest danger that it will

devise any catechism which every Anarchist will be compelled to accept. As a

medium for creating closer International comradeship, greater unity of action

and more lasting results, the Bureau is to be heartily welcomed.

Let every comrade assist, and the Anarchist Inter national will become a tremen-dous factor.


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May 21, 2012

Max Baginski

Te Anarchist International

November, 1907

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Max Baginski: The Anarchist International